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14 Eco-Friendly Backpacks That Deserve an A+ in Style

Ah, the smell of freshly sharpened pencils. Your post-Labor Day plans may no longer involve memorizing locker combinations or dodging hall monitors, but there's no reason why you can't catch some of that back-to-school spirit. Rise to the head of the class with one of these 14 environmentally inclined backpacks and rucksacks. Above, Drifter's camo-clad Back Country Pack ($80.25), made in the United States from 1000-denier Cordura nylon.

FRINGE BENEFITS

Too cool for school? Not this backpack. A marvel of Swiss engineering, the “Fringe” by Freitag combines the tough-as-nails durability of discarded tarpaulin with the road-readiness of used seat belts, which means it can take whatever you throw at it, even your former gym teacher.

WHITE HOT

Built in the U.S. of A., Keen’s Harvest III backpack makes one helluva impact. It’s derived from pre-consumer automotive air bags, which the Portland, OR company harvests locally to create its one-of-a-kind carryalls. Extra credit: It’s water-resistant, to boot.

BORN IN THE U.S.A.

You don’t need to major in geography to peg the Archival rucksack’s origins. Modeled after the traditional canoe pack, the American-made carryall comprises mostly U.S.-sourced materials, including heavyweight waxed-cotton twill and domestically tanned leather.

PACK UP YOUR TROUBLES

There are plenty of reasons to smile about Makr’s old kit bag. The rucksack is constructed Stateside from predominantly U.S.-sourced materials, including the heavy cotton-duck canvas that gives it its tenacious, no-frills exterior.

DON’T HAVE A COW

Matt & Nat’s “Dean” backpack only looks like it’s made of leather. Derived from 100 percent recycled nylon, the cruelty-free holdall has room aplenty for a laptop, books, and a brown-bagged lunch—a vegan one, of course.

MASTER OF DISGUISE

Talk about an overachiever. The “Gabrielle” by Pansy Maiden shape-shifts into four different bags: a satchel, messenger, shoulder, and backpack. Even better? The weather-resistant haversack is completely cruelty-free, which means fewer dirty looks on the way to the locker.

SWIM TEAM

We’ll admit. Fleabag’s “Alice Seafarer” qualifies as a splurge, but if we were to put all our eggs in one basket, this would be it. Made in the United States from organic hemp canvas, repurposed fishermen’s net, and water-based inks, the military-inspired knapsack supports net-makers in Louisiana, where business has nosedived since the Gulf oil spill.